Automatic pressure-retaining device for air-brakes.



No. 674,?34. Patented May 2|, l90l. J. R IDE.

AUTOMATIC PRESSURE RETAlNING DEVICE FOR AIR BRAKES.

(Application filed Oct. 17, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheei 1.

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. Patented May 2|, I90l. J. R. IDE.

AUTOMATIC PRESSURE RETAINING DEVICE FOR AIR BRAKES.

(Application filed Oct. 17, 1909.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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lJtrTTnn STATns PATnNT @FFICE.

JOHN R. IDE, OF SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA.

AUTOMATlC PRESSURE-RETAINING DEVICE FOR AIR-BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,734, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed October 1'7, 1900. Serial No. 33.388. (No model.)

To all whmn it 777/(ty concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. IDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salisbury, in the county of Rowan and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pressure-Retaining Devices for Air-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic pressure-retaining device for'air-brakes, and has for its object to provide an improved arrangement of valve mechanism which by means of a single connection with the exhaust of the triple valve will permit the auxiliary reservoir to be recharged with air without releasing the brakes.

The invention is designed more particularly for application to the ordinary Westinghouse system of air-brakes and may be so applied without making any alterations whatever therein; but it may be applied to any system of air-brakes wherein an auxiliary reservoir and a triple valve are employed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, the same has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an air-brake system of the Westinghouse type, showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the improvement. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a valve and the springs operating therewith. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a valve. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates the train-pipe; 2, a branch pipe leading therefrom and communicating with a triple valve 3; 4, the auxiliary cylinder; 5, the brake-cylinder, and 6 the exhaust port or pipe from the triple valve. Leading from this exhaust port or pipe is a pipe 7, connected by means of a T-coupling 8 with one end of a valve-casing 9. The pipe 7 is also connected through the coupling 8 with a branch pipe 10, which leads into the opposite end of the valve-casing 9. In the pipe 10, preferably adjacent to the coupling 8, for convenience in connecting up is a valvecasing 11, having a valve 12, which is held to its seat by the pressure of a spiral spring 13. The spiral spring 13 is held under compression by means of a plug or cap 14, screwed into the valve-casing 11. The strength of the spring 13 is so proportioned that it will resist a pressure of air upon the valve up to, say, fifteen pounds, and a greater pressure than fifteen pounds will overcome the resistance of the spring and move the valve 12 from its seat. The casing 9 has a reduced portion 15 and an enlarged portion 16. Within the reduced portion 15 is arranged a valve 17, which is normally held from its seat 18 against pressure'in pipe 7 by means of a coiled spring 19. The strength of this spring is such as to hold the valve 17 from its seat against a pressure of air in the pipe 7 up to, say, ten pounds. A pressure of air greater than ten pounds will be sufficient to overcome the resistance of spring 19 and cause the valve 17 to be moved to its seat 18. Normally, however, there is communication from the pipe 7 around the valve 17 to the exhaust-port 20,10- cated beyond the seat 18 of the valve. .Within the enlarged portion 16 of the casing 9 is a valve 21, having a stem 22. Surrounding this stem is a spring 23, which is held under pressure between the valve 21 and a collar 24, which encircles the spring 19 and seats'in an offset within the casing, as at 25. The spring 19 is mounted at one end upon the free end of the stem 22. The enlarged portion 16 of the casing 9 provides a chamber 25 for the working of the valve 21, and this valve is normally held by the spring 23 against the end of the said chamber, having the outlet 26 communicating with the pipe 10, so as to close said outlet.

Adjacent to the outlet 26 is a small exhaustport 27, leading from the chamber 25. The spring 23 has the same relative strength as the spring 13 of valve l2-that is to say, a pressure of air in pipe 10 of fifteen or more pounds will be required to unseat the valve 21. The exhaust-port 27 is for the purpose of permitting the valve to reseat itself.

The numeral 28 indicates a three-way cutofi cock in the pipe 7, so that if it be found necessary to cut off my device from connection with the triple valve there will still be an opening for the escape of the exhaust. The numeral 29 indicates a bracket provided with screw-holes 30 for the purpose of securing the attachment to some portion of the carbody.

The operation and advantages of the invention will now be explained.

The valve'17 being normally held from its seat permits a light application of the brakes to be made, provided a pressure of ten pounds be not exceeded, the exhaust from the triple valve passing around the valve 17 and out of the exhaust-port 20 without operating the valve 17. This arrangement also permits the escape of any air that may leak through the triple valve. If the spring 19 were not employed, any leakage or light application of the brakes would cause the valve 17 to be seated and thus hold the brakes on. To firmly apply the brakes, a pressure of from ten to fourteen pounds may be employed. In this operation, after the brakes have been applied, the engineer throws his valve to release. The exhaust passing from the triple valve and having a pressure greater than ten pounds and less than fifteen pounds, the valve 17 will be seated and exhaust of the compressed air to the atmosphere be prevented and the brakes be held on. The auxiliary reservoir may now be charged with air up to its full capacity While the brakes are still held applied. If it be desired to release the brakes, a pressure offrom twenty to thirty-five pounds is applied to the brakes and then thrown into the exhaust. This being a greater pressure than the valve 12 can withstand said valve,

is moved from its seat, and the air passing through the pipe 10 exerts its pressure upon the valve 21 and moves it from its seat. As

this occurs the spring 19 is pushed forward by the stem 22 and moves the valve 17 from its seat.

This will permit the air in pipe 7% the air has exhausted from pipe 7 and the brakes have been released.

It will be seen that with this device there is only one connection and that is at the triplevalve exhaust and that this exhaust controls the operation of the device.

This permits of a very simple and inexpensive construction. and one which may be readily applied to thef ordinary triple valve. attachment should be broken off no effect whatever would be produced upon the brakes. Again, as compared with other devices which have been suggested for accomplishing the results herein indicated, the present invention requires but a slight increase of pressure to release the brakes. The engineer can apply the brakes, recharge the reservoir, and release the brakes if he only have twenty pounds pressure of air, as fifteen pounds would restore the normal pressure in the auxiliary reservoir, and the extra five pounds of pressure would operate the valves to secure the exhaust and release the brakes, as before explained- Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. Incombination with the auxiliary reser- Furthermore, if the voir and brake-cylinder of an air-brake system, a pressure-retaining device receiving the exhaust from the brake-cylinder and controlled by variations in the pressure of the exhaust to hold the brakes applied or permit their release.

2. In combination with the auxiliary reservoir and brake-cylinder of an air-brake system,a pressure-retaining device receiving the exhaust from the brake-cylinder and automatically controllable solely by variations in the pressure of the exhaust to hold the brakes applied or permit their release.

3. In combination with the auxiliary reser- -voir, brake-cylinder and triple valve of an air-brake system, a pressure-retaining device communicating with the system through the exhaust-port of the triple valve, and control lable by variations in the pressure of the exhausttherefrom to hold the-brakes applied or permit their release.

t. In combination with the auxiliary reservoir, brake-cylinder and triple valve of an air-brake system, apressure-retaining device communicating with the system through the exhaust-port of the triple valve said device being provided with exhaust-portscontrolled by valves seating at unequal pressures,whereby, the exhaust from the triple valve will, according to the pressure thereof, control the operation of said valves to permit or prevent the application of the brakes.

5. In combination with the auxiliary reservoir, brake-cylinder and triple valve of an air-brake system, a pressure-retaining device communicating with the system through the exhaust-port only of the triple valve, said device having an exhaust-port normally open to the exhaust from the triple valve and controlled by a valve 17 seating undera pressure of the exhaust less than normal, a valve 21 adapted to be moved by a pressure of air in the device greater than normal and to again unseat said valve 17, and a check-valve normally closing communication of the exhaustpressure to the valve 21.

6. In combination with the auxiliary reser- I voir, brake-cylinder and triple valve of an air-brake system, a pressure-retaining device communicating with the system through the exhaust-port only of the triple valve, said device having an exhaust-port normally open to the exhaust from the triple valve and controlled by a valve 17 seating under a pressure of the exhaust less than normal, a valve 21. adapted to be moved by a pressure of air in the device greater than normal and to thereby again unseat said valve 17 and simultaneously open an exhaust-port smaller than the first-named exhaust-port, and a check-valve.

normally closing communication of the exhaust-pressure to the valve 21.

7. In combination with auxiliary reservoir, brake-cylinder and triple valve of an airbrake system, a pressureretaining device communicating with the system through the exhaust-port only of the triple valve, said device having an exhaust-port normally open to the exhaust from the triple valve and controlled by a valve 17 seating under a pressure of the exhaust less than normal, a valve adapted to be moved by a pressure of air in the device greater than normal and to thereby again unseat said valve 17 and simultaneously open an exhaust-port smaller than the first-named exhaust-port, and a check-valve normally closing communication of the exhaust-pressure to the valve 21 and requiring a pressure greater than normal to unseat it.

8. In combination with the auxiliary reservoir, brake-cylinder and triple valve of an air-brake system, a pipe 7 connected at one end to the exhaust of the triple valve and at its opposite end to one end of a valve casing, said casing having an exhaust-port normally open to the exhaust from the triple valve and controlled by a valve 17 seating under a pressure of the exhaust less than normal, a valve 21 in said casing adapted to be moved by a pressure greater than the normal pressure of the exhaust and in its movement to unseat the valve 17, said valve 21 controlling an exhaust-port of less area than the first-named port, a branch pipe connecting the pipe 7 with the other end of said casing, and acheckvalve in said branch pipe requiring a pressure of exhaust greater than normal to open it.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN R. IDE.

Witnesses:

J. S. McCUBBINs, Jr., W. T. WQ-RKMAN. 

